From 9/6/2012:
With fall coming, we have a second opportunity to plant trees. This week I want to discuss how fruit trees are sold. When you buy a new tree, it will come in one of 3 conditions: bare root, potted or freshly dug up. Each has its pros and cons.
· Bare root – these are usually trees between 2-3 years old that have been grafted the previous growing season. If you are ordering from a catalog or on-line, odds are good you will get a bare root tree. Bare root trees offer the greatest selection at a reasonable price. Pros: The tree is young and usually transplants well. The roots will not have been root bound and you can get a good look at them before planting. The tree will likely establish and grow better in the long term. Cons: These are young trees and they will likely not bear fruit for several years (2-5 depending on size and variety).
· Potted – this is what you find at most garden centers. The trees are usually older (4-5 years). Pros: Trees are more established and will bear fruit sooner (usually 1-2 years). They look nicer when planted. Because you are picking these out live, you have more choice over the branch structure and shape of your tree. You can sometimes find good potted trees at the end of the season for cheaper than a bare root tree. Cons: the tree is usually root bound. If the roots have started growing in a curve around the sides, then they must be straightened back out so that they don’t choke the tree later. Sometimes if a tree has been potted up several times (i.e. never grown in the ground) then roots close to the trunk will swirl even if the ones on the outside don’t. That can then kill the tree as the roots grow. You can avoid this by buying trees that are not root bound and look a little small for the size of pot they are in.
· Freshly dug – These trees are growing in the ground and are dug by a special machine when you order them. These are usually larger trees that are more expensive. Some nut trees can be purchased this way, but not usually fruit trees. Pros: The tree is established and will have good, straight roots. It will likely already be bearing fruit. Because you are likely picking this tree out, you get your choice of branch structure and shape. Cons: These are EXPENSIVE! They also require special equipment to plant them and a very large hole.
When looking for fruit trees, I generally buy bare root trees. I would never buy a fruit tree from a big box garden center (Lowes, Home Depot, Wal-Mart) because they are always root bound. I’ve gambled and lost on that one. There are good smaller garden centers that grow their own stock from bare root and offer wonderful potted trees though. I keep my eye on them as the season ends because I can usually find good quality trees for $20 each. I don’t have the budget for freshly dug, larger trees and I think that trees do better when they are in their final spot earlier in their lives. Plenty of people do buy the larger trees this way though and it works for them. Ultimately, it is up to what you want and what you’re willing to pay.
If you’re looking for good trees on-line, I highly recommend Trees of Antiquity (http://www.treesofantiquity.com/) and Stark Brothers (http://www.starkbros.com/). Trees of Antiquity offers a tremendous selection and really stands by their products. The only downside with them is that there are so many choices! Stark Brothers is based out of Missouri, so their trees tend to do well in our climate. They have a reasonable selection of good trees and their shipping is very reliable.
Next week, we’ll look at how to evaluate a fruit tree’s structure.
From 9/14/2012:
With fall coming, we have a second opportunity to plant trees. Let’s discuss how to evaluate a fruit tree’s structure. The structure of a tree is the pattern that its branches make with the trunk. For most fruit trees (cherries and plums are an exception), we want an “open” structure that allows air to circulate easily around all the fruit. The circulation enables the fruit to ripen more uniformly and helps keep mold and mildew at bay. Here’s what to look for when evaluating a fruit tree:
· Are branches spaced evenly around the tree? You don’t want all the branches on one side. Ideally, you’ll have the same number of branches pointing in all directions around the tree. If there are branches on all sides, but there are more on one side than another, could you thin the heavy side to bring it more balance? If so, the tree will probably be fine.
· Are branches growing straight out from the trunk? The “perfect” fruit tree will have all of its main branches growing parallel with the ground close to the trunk. This gives you lots of spread. When looking at a young tree, you want to choose one that already has branches in this position, preferably on all sides. Any branches that are growing straight up from the trunk should be pruned off. If you are looking at a larger tree (4-5’), are the main branches spaced out on the trunk so that 2 branches in the same direction are not close to one another? You want each branch to have space to grow, so avoid having branches right on top of one another.
· Do the leaves look healthy? Avoid trees with small brown spots on the leaves (especially apples) because it’s a sign of disease. Also avoid trees with yellowing leaves. They are often root bound/under nourished or diseased.
· Does it look like the tree has lost its leaves? Are there empty leave nodes on the branches? This can be a sign that the tree has dropped leaves due to stress. Sometimes if everything else checks out, these trees will come back fine the next year. Sometimes not.
If you are ordering trees through the mail or you live somewhere with an existing fruit tree, you’ll need to work with what you have. Next week we’ll look at how to prune a fruit tree to create the structure described above(actually, this may end up in 2 weeks…we’ll see how wordy I get. )
From 9/20/2012:
The time to prune fruit trees is coming up, so let’s talk about how to do that. First, I would like to say that the best way to learn to prune a fruit tree is to go to a hands-on workshop. Kansas City Community Gardens offers them as do a few other community groups. You can also go to a local orchard and look at the structure of their trees. We will be pruning our fruit trees this fall (probably in November) and anyone interested is welcome to come help. In the meantime, here’s a general guide:
1. Do any heavy pruning while the tree is dormant (Nov – March). Light pruning can be done in Spring and Fall.
2. Prune off any branches low on the trunk. This is particularly true for anything growing below the graft line.
3. For a new tree, pick out your “scaffold” branches. These are the main branches, one in each direction, that are spread out and mostly parallel with the ground. Remove any non-scaffold branches from the trunk.
4. If any branches come out of the trunk and are growing mostly straight up, prune them.
5. If you want to keep your tree short (for a dwarf or pot grown tree, for example), prune the central leader at about the height you want the tree to grow to.
6. Focus on the branches coming off of your scaffold branches. Look for any branches that cross, especially if they are growing toward the center of the tree. Prune until the branches no longer cross.
7. Look for branches that are close together, especially if they are growing in the same direction. Prune until each branch has space to grow.
8. Look for “waterspout” branches. These grow off of scaffold branches and grow straight up. Either remove them or cut them off short. These will try to become a new central leader if not pruned.
9. Remember to leave first year growth – most fruit trees bear fruit on last year’s growth.
At this point, you should have a tree that looks very “open”. Each branch should have good air flow around it and the tree should look balanced from all sides. If you have an older tree that has not been pruned many years, don’t try to take it from its current state to the “ideal” look in one year. It would be too drastic of a loss and could kill the tree. Instead, focus on one part of the tree each year. For example, divide the tree mentally into quarters. Prune one quarter to an open shape the first year. The second year, prune the second quarter and do maintenance pruning on the first quarter. Continue on until the entire tree is brought back into shape.
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